The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1887-03-05
WILLIAM r. MORRISON.

The Chicago Journal, crediting rumof
that the President has rendered to Wm' H.
Morrison an appointment as one OF the 10
ter State Railway Commissions, takes oc'
casion 10 pour out It's gall upon the un
happy ex.chairman of the Ways and Means
committee of the House, In the following
british style: :,
Itiss shabby and disreputable job. II
IL A scsndalous reward To defeated
PLAYED out and decayed politician. IL Is
matter of shameless truck and barter In re'
gard TO an Office that should have been
kep, from every talnt Of corrupt political
favor, and should have been filed on bus
mess principles alone.
The report 30 eagerly caught up was
one Of those thousand and one Idle rumors
constantly floating about the capitoi u
which no one ever pays serious attention
ami Is seized upon by the Journal solely
IA An excuse 10 vent little surplus bile
Yet we're it true-and we profoundly hope
Il is-thst the President has rendered the
appointment In question to Mr.. Morrison
the act would do honor to his sagacity, and
would be one the whole country would
soon have occasion to applaud.
Who Is William Il. Morrison Some 81
years ago he and John A. Logan entered
the Illinois Legislature, when little more
than out Of their teens, both as shining and
promising young democrats. Logan was
noisy, aggressive and superficial; Morrison
was quiet, thoughtful, industrious and
ploddipg. Two wears later the same duet
again appeared in the house. Logan was
the same noisy, aggressive bushwhacker,
welding no noticeable influence, and ex-
citing dislike, II not contempt, by his:vio-
lent speech and extreme notions Morri-
son, as confessedly the ablest man In the
house, quietly bagged the speakersh!P, and
though still In the twenties, never to this
day has that body had more able, cour'
'eous, efficient. and popular presiding
officer,
Five years later sees botk our youthful
.herOes " In congress, aud soon afterward
the civil war breaking out, Morrison In
his patriotic ardor, hastens to raise regi
ment for three years or during the war,
while Logan, quitting his seat In congress
for awhile and hanging around Springfield
where an extra session of the Legislature
had been convened, and railing out against
the I'd abolltionists for bringing on
the war, and cursing Douglas for " selling
out the democratic party to Lincoln" final
" returns to Washington, Is sent for by
Lincoln, persuaded to forego his foolish
vaporing, and to accept, like Morrison, the
command of regiment. 1t was the turn
Ing point In Logan's life-the making OF
the man and henceforward his career wal
upward and onward, honorable and bril-
liant.
Both Morrison and Logan we're at the
head of their regiments at Donelson-boti
did brilliant service, and both were
wounded; Morrison so seriously that he
Law on his back for months, and finally
gave up his position In the army, and re
sumed his seat In congress; Logan soor
recovered and remained In the army-botf
confessedly choosing the place for which
| he was best fitted.
We need follow the parallel 20 further
Morrison Was but few years In the house
when his eminent ability and fitness fo'
" affairs" was recognized and he wal
placed at the head Of the ways and means
committee, the most trying and responsible
position In congr ess, and one which fol
some sixteen years he held without inter
ruption whenever the democrats had con
troll OF the house.
Meantime, as a prominent figure ant
tower of strength In the democratic army
he became the object Of unceasing assault
and offense to the opposing party. Twice
the republican Legislature Of Illinois &
perrymandered his district as TO leave HIN
la . hopeless minority, according to the
returns ut the previous election, but In each
case the people resented :hs indignity anf
ulnm phsntly returned him 70 congress IL
spite OF such disgrsceful tTlckary. II VA